Alternative to HD ecosmart-575L for shallow 6" can

twitter007November 10, 2012

Folks,

I replaced several incandescent recessed bulbs with Home Depot

s ecosmart-575L following recommendations on this forum. There are some shallow cans in my house where eco 575L doesn't fit. I believe they are Halo 27 series cans. Any recommendations for LED bulbs which will fit in shallow cans.

I've used the 14w BR30 Ecosmart (made by Lighting Science) - not bad, but didn't care for it - slightly pinkish color compared to an incandescent bulb (or the 575L) and doesn't turn on until about 2/3 second after you flip the switch. HD also sells a Philips BR30 2700K that's slightly better, although it too has both of these issues to a lesser degree. Some of the Halo LED modules (not the ones sold in the big-box stores) look great on paper, maybe better than the Cree CR6/Ecosmart 575L, though I haven't used one yet.

I never had incandescents in these cans so I can't compare them. I had CFL floods in them from the day I installed them. I can't stand waiting for them to warm up. I've replaced half of them with the 14w EcoSmart LED's now and can see what you mean about the slight pinkish cast but only when I look directly at them and compare them to the (GE) CFL's. My daughter can't see the difference at all. The lighting in the room looks the same. The cabinets and walls have nice color. I really don't mind the slight delay in turning on - it sure beats 1 - 2 minutes for the CFL's to warm up.

Are the Halo retrofits different at Home Depot/Lowes than elsewhere? I really can't see spending more and throwing away the existing trim rings, especially with the rate of change in lighting technology. I may end up replacing these before they burn out.

The included trim rings are often the same; the LED module itself (which is interchangable) sometimes gives off better quality light. But the Lowes/HD ones are still reasonably good. HD sells them as Commercial Electric or All-Pro IIRC.

Suppose I should also mention the new Cree-based T67 flushmount LED disks that HD just started selling under the Commercial Electric brand (replacing the Lighting Science-based units). Install in a 6" or most 5" cans or even an electrical junction box. Look better than the old ones, more like separate bulbs in a regular trim baffle. 650 lumens, 2700K, 12.5 watts. T24 compliant. No mention of CRI.

Or make that will - they currently show as out of stock online and not available in any of my local stores. Anyway, the specs for these can be found on the Energy Star online spreadsheet, which shows the lumens for the 6" and 4" versions are more like 652 and 620 respectively, the actuall wattage iw in the low 11s for both, and that CRI isn't all that high, 80.2 for the 6" an 81.7 for the 6". Cree's model numbers for these are CE-JB6-650L-27K-E26 and CE-JB4-650L-27K-E26.

I was almost about to install the 6" light I bought to replace a hideous swag lamp in the hallway ceiling, but may hold out for the 4" model now. The actual trim rings are more like 7.5" and 6" and are on the HD spec pages. The design is interesting, with a 3-prong holder familiar to CR6/Ecosmart 575L users except it's easily removable if you're installing in a J-box. The 4" version has smaller prongs to cling to 4" cans rather than 6" or maybe 5". There is a pigtail, to which you can attach either a standard Edison socket (included) or a pair of wires with bare ends for hardwiring, which yields T24 compliance. It's dimmable to 5%, rated for 35,000 hours, warranted for 3 years, and rated for wet locations and outdoor use (but I don't think direct exposure to rain, haven't read the instructions yet). Wish the CRI was higher, but nice light nonetheless.

The 6" version I bought at HD includes that same accessories kit, including the E26 Edison socket pigtail, but still claims Title 24 compliance on the box for all you CAers (I assume this requires installation using the alternate hardwired pigtail). No GU24 socket is provided.

The T67 came in at my local Home Depot and I installed one in a 5" can above a shower to replace the 50 watt par20 bulb that was there. 100 more lumens for 1/4 the electricity and a wider spread for the light. Overall, we're really pleased with it.

No - I meant to test it on another circuit with a dimmer but forgot until after I installed it. It does come on instantly. It is as pleasing a light as the CR4's I have installed elsewhere. There is an extra step to retrofit it into an existing can - a ground wire needs to be clipped to the can housing. Not a big deal but worth noting.